Faisal Manap's move to Tampines GRC was one he always wanted, says Pritam

WP chief says incumbent Aljunied GRC MP is proud to lead Tampines team

- Aqil Hamzah

Aljunied GRC stalwart Faisal Manap to Tampines GRC into a four-cornered fight, it also fielded one of its more prominent new candidates, lawyer Harpreet Singh Nehal, in Punggol GRC, instead of East Coast GRC where he had been spotted.

Some were stunned at the WP no-show at Kong Hwa School, the nomination centre for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC. Even WP supporters who had turned up were caught unawares.

By the time nominations closed, the party had not sent a team there, and the constituency became the only one with a walkover this election, and the first since 2011.

On the PAP front, it was widely expected that the party would have on standby heavyweight ministers who could be moved to constituencies considered under threat.

Indeed, two days earlier, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean had said he would not be contesting Pasir Ris-Changi GRC, sparking speculation he could be fielded in neighbouring Punggol GRC instead.

Then on Nomination Day, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat appeared at Yusof Ishak Secondary School, the nomination centre for both Punggol and East Coast GRCs, sparking talk that he could be headed for Punggol.

The WP's decision to move incumbent Aljunied GRC MP Faisal Manap to Tampines GRC was to fulfil his longstanding wish, and because the party felt it had a strong enough slate to contest the ward.

WP chief Pritam Singh said Mr Faisal, 49, "always wanted" to contest in Tampines GRC.

"He has been asking me to consider that proposal from him for quite a long time already.

Eventually, though, it was DPM Gan Kim Yong who turned up and filed his candidate papers to lead the PAP's team in the new constituency, just 20 minutes or so before nominations closed.

Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, meanwhile, was moved to replace Mr Gan in Chua Chu Kang GRC, leaving Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC without a minister at the helm.